Getting Love For The Glove

The 2009 AL Gold Glove winners were announced today and the Yankees, as expected, had 2 winners. Congrats to Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter on picking up the honors.

For my money, both were no-brainers. Teixeira was just amazing with the glove. Tex ranked 2nd in fielding percentage for all AL 1Bs, .001 points behind Lyle Overbay. Tex also had the 2nd highest zone rating @ 2.907, trailing only Carlos Pena whose rating was 2.922. Pena had a much lower fielding percentage though @ .991. Tex's ZR was much higher than Overbay's (2.627). Is it me or did it seem like Tex was making an outstanding play every game? He definitely saved many a run with his glove. How awesome is it having a stellar glove at 1B? I like Jason Giambi and all but every time a ball was hit to first it was an adventure. Something tells me Tex will this award several more times before all is said and done.

There's been a lot of talk in recent years that Derek Jeter is the worst defensive SS in all of MLB. I think that notion can officially be dismissed. DJ had arguably the best defensive season of his career. He led all AL SS with a .986 fielding percentage. The .986 fielding percentage is a career-high, tying his % from 1998. DJ also typically gets knocked for his lack of range. He led all MLB SS with a 6.480 zone rating. I wanted to look up his ZRs from prior years but I'm lazy and didn't find it right away. I'm sure it's up there. This award, Derek's 4th, was definitely well deserved. Even though people will try, you can't front on that. All you haters can suck it.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

The Hot Stove Starts To Simmer

The November installment of the GM meetings started yesterday and as expected not much went down. The real fun is at the December GM meetings. So if you're expecting some juicy stuff this week, you're going to be let down.

The "big news" yesterday was that both Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui filed for free agency. Nobody should be surprised by this. The Yankees have a small window to negotiate with them exclusively before other teams can enter the mix. I believe that window closes on the 19th and I'd be surprised if the Yankees do anything with them before the deadline. There's a lot of question/debate going on as to whether the Yankees should bring back these guys back. A lot of people seem to think that they will sign one of them, but not both. Most people seem to think Damon will be the one returning. I see positives to bringing both back, but I don't see it happening. I think it's possible that neither return.

If you put me on the spot and asked me to pick which one I wanted back, I'd pick Damon over Matsui. I think Johnny can bring more to the table because he can still play the field. I also like him at the top of the order batting behind Jeter. He still has some decent speed and again he can play the field. Right now the Yankees OF is pretty weak with Swisher, Melky and Gardner. Even if you put Austin Jackson in that mix (I don't think they will) it's still weak. Johnny is a viable option. I also think if Matsui isn't on the squad that Damon can get some DH time and that should help him with his leg issues.

I think Matsui has a lot to offer as the guy hitting behind A-Rod but I think his bat can be easily replaced. The Yankees should be able to find a LH power bat for the same kind of money. I'm also not a fan of the full-time DH. But that's just me.

I wouldn't mind seeing both guys return but neither should get more than a 1-2 year deal if they do return. I also wouldn't pay them as much as they were paid in their last contract. I also wouldn't sign either until I explore bringing in other free agents, namely Matt Holiday and Jason Bay, to take their place. Cashman would need to move quickly though because you don't want to wait too long and end up with nothing. I'm sure Cash-Money is looking ahead at who will be available in a few years. It may make more sense to bring Damon back for a year and go after a 2011 free agent than to go after Holliday or Bay. Cash is a smart guy. I'm sure he'll make the right moves. I think we'll see Damon back in Pinstripes before it's all said and done.

You guys have any thoughts? Who do you prefer they sign if given the choice between Matsui and Damon? Do you even want those guys back? The Hot Stove is starting to simmer. Can't wait for it to be roaring. There's no better offseason in sports than baseball's hot stove.

The other Yankees who have filed for free agency include Andy Pettitte, Eric Hinske, Jerry Hairston, Jr., Jose Molina and Xavier Nady. In the next day or two I'll be posting my thoughts on the open roster spots and who I think should fill them. Assuming I can find the time of course.

Peace, love and Pintripes,

J-Boogie

The Season Ends With A Trip Down The Canyon Of Heroes

I just got finished watching the 3 hour parade down the Canyon of Heroes on my DVR. I didn't want it to end because I knew when it did that the 2009 season would officially be over. But as they say, all good things must come to an end. What better way to wrap it up then with a parade honoring our boys as the World Champions of baseball? The New York Yankees are the World Champs. I can never get tired of saying that.

The parade was pretty fun to watch. It looked like it was insanely good time. Man, I would have loved to have been there. Someday maybe. Two of the things on my "bucket list" are to see the Yankees win the World Series live and in person, and to take in one of those parades. Who knows? Maybe that will be next year. If I had listened to my wife I would have been able to knock one of those of the list. When I was debating between getting tickets for game 6 or game 7, she said to with 6. I went with 7. Just goes to show you should always listen to your wife. She occasionally reads the blog so I have to say that.

What was up with A-Rod's hat? For those of you who didn't see the parade, here's a photo:

Nice lid, eh? He was also sporting it at a Knicks game. It's not my cup of tea, mainly because I can't pull it off, but I guess it works for Alex. When it comes to Alex, I really hope all Yankee fans fully embrace him. I wrote this the other day: And though I think this happened long ago, we can now make it official. A-Rod is a 100% true Yankee. Don't even try to tell me he's not. You won't win that argument. Alex had an awesome season when you consider where his season started (steroid use admission) and where his season ended (World Champion). I'm excited because he's a Yankee through 2017. I have a feeling these next 8 years are going to be huge for Alex. Absolutely huge.

I always hate when the season ends. I always liken it to the end of a school year. You spend so much time with a group of people and then it all comes to end. You see a few people occasionally but for the most part everybody goes their separate ways. Months pass and then everybody reconvenes and we do it all over again. The big difference is that everyone is usually happy when school ends. I hate when the baseball season ends. Like most of you, I spend 6-7 nights a week watching the Yankees. Then one day, poof, it's gone. There's always a little period of adjustment to go through after the games end. Thank God for the Hot Stove. I don't know what I'd do without that.

Not sure what the coming days will bring for the blog. I definitely plan on blogging, just not sure about what. I'm planning on doing a few look backs at the 2009 season. There's the postseason awards. I've got a few books to read for the Boogie Down Book Club. I also plan on doing some work on my other blog, Elect Mike Mussina. This blog will remain active though the posts may taper off here and there. Rest assured there will be blogging.

I want to thank everyone for stopping by to check out blog this season. It still boggles my mind that anybody actually takes the time to read it. I sincerely appreciate it. Hopefully you guys enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. Again, I really do appreciate it. It was a fun season and I thank you all for helping to make it great. I'll be here holding down the fort as the Yankees make a run at #28. I hope you continue to come around. You know where to find me.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

photo courtesy of Getty images @ Yahoo.com

Three Of The "Core Four" On Letterman

Not sure if anyone out there saw The Late Show with David Letterman last night but if uou missed it, I highly suggest you look around online to see if you can find clips from the show. Dave was joined by Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada and Derek Jeter, with Hideki Matsui also making about a 15 second cameo. The interview was pretty funny and I had a smile on my face the whole time. Best line of the night came from the Captain. Letterman asked him if he was engaged. Derek replied, "No. Are you?" Classic. Check it out if you can find it. If I find a clip of it anywhere, I'll be sure to share.

While you're at it, make sure to watch the segment, Biff At the World Series. It's comedic gold.

If you're going to the parade today, enjoy it you lucky jerks. I'm DVRing it and will be watching it sometime tonight. I can't get enough Yankees right now. I know in a few days it'll be gone for a while. I'm trying to make it last as long as I can.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

I'm In An Empire State Of Mind

The chorus from Jay-Z's song, Empire State of Mind, is very fitting right now. "In New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of. There's nothing you can't do, now you're in New York. These streets will make you feel brand new, big lights will inspire you, let's hear it for New York, New York, New York." I've been bumping that song all day. If you're a Yankee fan, how can you not be in an "Empire State of Mind." Today is all about the Yankees. Excuse me. I mean today is all about the 27-time World Champion Yankees. Yeah, that's more like it. Last night's game is still playing fresh in my mind. What an awesome night. What an awesome day. Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York.

Hats off to Andy Pettitte who shut up all the doubters who said he couldn't pitch well on short rest. I'm not sure if I fall into that group or not. Here's what I wrote about Andy before yesterday's game:

I'm really nervous about tonight's game. Andy is 37 and hasn't pitched on short rest in over 100 starts. But if anyone can figure out a way to battle through the game, it's Andy Pettitte. We shouldn't expect perfection but I'm confident he'll be able to keep the team in the game. That's all I'm looking for. The offense though needs to show up and get the necessary run support.

That's pretty much what happened. Andy definitely battled his way thru the start yesterday. But he did what I thought he'd do and that was keep the team in the game. The offense came through and took care of the rest. Andy is definitely one of the unsung heroes of the postseason. He went 4-0 in his 5 starts, pitching to an ERA of 3.52 and he held the opponents to a .226 batting average. 3 of his wins came in clinchers. You the man Andy. I really hope this isn't the last we've seen of AP, but if it is, thanks for everything.

Hats off to the World Series MVP, Hideki Matsui. If this was his last go-around in Pinstripes, what a way to go out. Hideki had a monster World Series, hitting .615. His overall postseason numbers were pretty impressive too. He appeared in 15 games, smacked 4 HRs, knocked in 13 and hit .349 with an OPS of 1.136. Godzilla was definitely deserving of the MVP. He single-handedly won game 6 with his 6 RBI. He absolutely owned Pedro too. I'm on the fence as to whether or not the Yankees should bring back Matsui for another term. But we've got months to discuss that, so why start now.

Hats off to Mariano Rivera. Mo very well could have been the WS MVP. I think it was a two horse race between Mo and Johnny Damon until Matsui came along. Mo pitched 5.1 innings in the WS, allowing 0 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks. After game 1, Jimmy Rollins remarked that the Phillies "saw some things" against Mo. Guess not. Like he's done so many times before, Mo locked it down. And like they always are, his postseason numbers were out of this world. 16 IP, 10 hits, 5 walks, 14 K, 1 ER, 0.56 ERA, .169 opponents batting average. Add that up and you get 5 saves. If any non-Yankee fans out there doubt that Mo is the greatest ever, take notice. He was the only closer of the 8 postseason teams who didn't have a meltdown. He's the GOAT. Mo made a sort-of joking comment during the postgame festivities that he'd be able to pitch another 5 years. Memo to Brian Cashman: sign that deal! Right now.

Hats off to Alex Rodriguez. Nobody can dog A-Rod anymore about not coming through in the postseason. Alex's postseason, as I predicted, was huge. He hit .365, had an OBP of .500 and a SLG percentage of .808. In 16 games, he hit 6 HR and drove in 18 RBI. The Yankees definitely don't win #27 without Alex. His World Series definitely wasn't as good as his other 2 rounds of the postseason, but he definitely had some huge hits that can't be discounted. And though I think this happened long ago, we can now make it official. A-Rod is a 100% true Yankee. Don't even try to tell me he's not. You won't win that argument.

Hats off to Damaso Marte. Damaso came out of nowhere and had an outstanding postseason. His postseason numbers are shocking compared to his regular season numbers. Marte appeared in 8 games, allowing only 2 hits, both of which came in his 1st postseason outing. 4 IP, 2 hits, no walks, 5 K, and a .133 opponents batting average. Marte came up big. Color me shocked. I didn't see that coming.

Hats off to, and I'm not a big fan of this moniker, the "Core Four." The drought is over. You guys have your 5th ring. Congrats. It all starts at the top with the Captain. Derek was another one of the guys who had a stellar postseason, hitting .344 for the entire postseason and .407 in the postseason. It was definitely a magical season for DJ. I'll bet this victory tastes pretty sweet.

Hats off to Joe Girardi. I may not agree 100% with his moves and I do think he can be an idiot at times, but I've to give Joe some credit. Girardi was integral in bringing the team together and making it about the team and not individuals. Girardi did an outstanding job helping to turn this team into a true team. Now if only he could get rid of his little book.

Hats off to the entire Yankees organization. From the top to the bottom you guys have given us fans a season to remember. I love that the Yankees have an owner who's committed to winning and doesn't care what it costs, even if it means losing money. There's been a lot of talk on the radio today about the Yankees and their high payroll. Yawn. It all boils down to jealousy. I'll talk about that more in the coming days/weeks. Anyway, congrats Mr. Steinbrenner! And thank you.

I feel like I'm making an acceptance speech. I know I'm leaving people out but that doesn't mean their accomplishments and contributions are being overlooked. Everyone at some point or another had a huge hand in bringing the World Series back to the Bronx. Hats off to all.

There's only 1 question left unanswered. What am I going to watch on TV now?

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

It Wasn't A Dream, The Yankees Are The Champs!

I checked the headlines today and it wasn't a dream. The Yankees won the World Series! The New York Yankees are the champions of baseball! Today is going to be a great day! It'll be a tired day (4 hours of sleep again), but a great day nonetheless.

Anybody order this yet?

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

photo from Getty Images @ Yahoo.com

Mission Accomplished: The New York Yankees Are Champions!!!

Mission accomplished! They did it. They did it. They did it. The New York Yankees are the 27-time World Champions! Man that feels good to say, err, write. That has a nice ring to it too. It also looks good (notice the change on the banner). Congrats fellas. From the top to the bottom, congrats, and thanks for one hell of a season. START SPREADING THE NEWS! THE NEW YORK YANKEES ARE THE WORLD CHAMPS!

A lot more to follow. But not now. It's late and I don't think I could adequately put into words what's going on in my head right now. I should have shot a video blog or something. It would have been much easier.

The 9 year drought is over. The kings of baseball once again reside in the Bronx!

Peace, love and Forever Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

photo from Getty images @ Yahoo.com

Down The Stretch They Come

I'm really nervous about tonight's game. Andy is 37 and hasn't pitched on short rest in over 100 starts. But if anyone can figure out a way to battle through the game, it's Andy Pettitte. We shouldn't expect perfection but I'm confident he'll be able to keep the team in the game. That's all I'm looking for. The offense though needs to show up and get the necessary run support. My buddy Scott just sent me a text asking me what my gut feeling about tonight's game is. My gut is telling me there's going to be a game 7. I hope my gut is wrong. But if it's not.....

I have tickets to game 7 . It would be insanely awesome to attend game 7 of a World Series. It would be absolutely mind-blowing if I lucked out and happened to be there to see the Yankees win it all. That would be a dream come true. But I'd rather they win tonight. I'm more than fine staying home if it means the Yankees win the World Series. I'm even going as far to find things I can do to put a reverse jinx on myself. I figure if I get as 100% ready to go to NYC that it won't happen. The only way it doesn't happen is if the Yankees win. Works for me.

I've had a few people tell me I'm crazy for not wanting them to lose so I can go and it boggles my mind how anyone would think a die-hard fan a team would every root for their team to lose. That doesn't fly with me. The Yankees have a 3-2 lead and are 1 win away from winning it all. There's no guarantee that any team will ever win, especially in game 7 of the World Series. You take it as soon as you can get it. Trust me, I know. I had tickets to game 7 of the 2004 ALCS. I've been there. Winning is never a guarantee. Like I said, when you're one win away from ending it, you want that win to happen ASAP regardless of anything else. I heard some people say they wanted them to lose game 5 so they could clinch at home. That line of thinking boggles my mind.

I may be back later on with more thoughts. I'll have to see how the day goes. If you're a Twitter user, feel free to follow me. There are a lot of Yankee bloggers and fans using Twitter and the community is very active during games. It's like we're all hanging out in a virtual living room watching the game. It's a good time.

Let's go Yankees!

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

It's Back To The Bronx For Game 6 As Yankees Fall To Phillies 8-6

Well that was fun, wasn't it? I'm going to save a lot of my comments for tomorrow. I could use some sleep so I'm going to keep this one real short. Yeah right.

A.J. Burnett was terrible. Beyond terrible. He had a chance to bring it home and he couldn't even make it out of the 3rd inning. It was a gamble going with him on short rest and it backfired. I'm not saying it wasn't the right move but it certainly didn't work out as we envisioned. I'm watching the postgame show on YES and Girardi sounds non-committal about using Pettitte in game 6. My buddy dropped a rumor on me that Pettitte told the team he had nothing left. I think that came via Jon Heyman. I'm inclined to think it's true after listening to Giradi say he wanted to ask Andy how he felt before announcing the game 6 starter. If there was any question about Pettitte being able to go in game 6 , then Chad Gaudin should have started tonight and they should have saved A.J. for game 6. I'm going to be highly ticked if Pettitte is toast.

I'm not sure how many of you guys follow me on Twitter. If you do and were following me last night you know I didn't have some nice things to say about Phil Coke. The bullpen needed to shut the Phillies down and for the most part they did. Until Coke came along anyway. I've been wondering since the ALCS why Girardi was using Damaso Marte over Phil Coke and now I have my answer. If Coke could have kept the ball in the park then maybe the 9th inning rally would have tied the game. I wouldn't be surprised if we've seen Phil Coke pitch his last pitch for the Yankees. I have no problem with that if that's the case.

Has anybody seen Mark Teixeira, one of the favorites to win the AL MVP? If you see him, tell him to show up in the Bronx. He's been missing all series. He had a big chance to atone for all of his shortcomings there in the 9th and he whiffed. The team needs you Mark. Please be in the Bronx on Wednesday.

I can't be overly disappointed because this wasn't a game I expected the Yanks to win. It would have been nice to close it out but what can you do? Philly is a good team and we Yankee fans should be happy they took 2 of 3 there. It is going to be real tough for Philly to win 2 straight in the Bronx. I don't see it happening, but who knows? I'll be back tomorrow with more.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie

To A.J. Or Not to A.J.

Here's the million dollar question: Do you want A.J. Burnett starting game 5 over Chad Gaudin? I'm not sure myself. There are pros and cons to both and I'm not sure which side has better arguments. This decision could end up proving to be a colossal mistake. It could definitely end up biting the Yankees right in the rear.

The lineup is likely going to be very weak tonight. The 5-9 spots are likely going to consist of Swisher, Cano, Molina, Gardner, and Burnett. Cliff Lee is the Phillies best pitcher and should do very well against a weakened Yankee lineup. A.J. may have to be near-perfect tonight just to keep the team in the game. If Chad Gaudin starts, Jorge Posada would get the start behind the plate and that would make the lineup somewhat formidable. But is a Posada/Gaudin pairing better than a Molina/Burnett pairing when you consider what happens on both sides of the plate? Hard to say. I'm not sure which way I go.

Burnett is also pitching on short rest. He's done that before and he's done it well. If the Yankees fail to close it out tonight, then Andy Pettitte will start game 6 on short rest. Andy hasn't done that in a while and who knows how he'll fare. Are the Yankees better off with Burnett/Pettitte, each on short rest, in games 5 or 6 as opposed to Gaudin/Burnett, both on full rest, in games 5 and 6? Is it better to have Burnett with a weakened lineup start against Cliff Lee as opposed to have Burnett start with a powerful lineup against Pedro Martinez in game 6? Again, hard to say. Again, not sure which way I go. Decisions, decisions, decisions.

I usually have an opinion one way or another on pretty much everything. I'm torn when it comes to this. I am just getting the feeling that using Burnett tonight could be a wasted start. A great pitcher is facing a weak lineup. As I wrote above, A.J. may need to be near perfect just to keep the team in the game. A.J. has to know this. Talk about pressure.

Before the series started though, I was all about the Yankees using a 3-man rotation. But, i didn't really expect them to be up 3-1 when game 5 rolled around. The only way I would ever consider giving Gaudin the ball would be with a 3-1 lead. And here we are. Decisions, decisions, decisions.

There is one solution that would make me feel much better. Start Posada over Molina. That would make the lineup much better and might just give A.J. the ability to recover from a mistake or two. I really think he needs to be near perfect tonight and I'm not sure he will be. I'd hate to see this be a wasted start because the Yankee offense doesn't score. I think that's what I'm more worried about.

What say you? If you're Joe Girardi, who do you start and why? Not sure how much of a response I'll get as 1st pitch is bout 3 hours away, but if you feel so inclined to leave a comment, please do.

This decision could prove to be a colossal mistake. It could blow up in the Yankees face. It could work out. Who knows? If the games were played on paper, it's a no-brainer. Philly is winning game 5. A.J. gives the team it's best chance to win so I'm OK with him getting the start. You never know what'll happen. As John Sterling likes to say, you just can't predict baseball.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie